In the next few years, the UK’s constitution will be re-shaped. This includes the BBC. A new book, from openDemocracy and Commonwealth Publishing, rethinks what Britain in the 21st century needs from its public media.

The most watched drama on the BBC for 20
years,The Fall, is about a serial
killer in Belfast who murders and 'poses' his women victims in the nude. Is the violence gratuitous, or does it
capture the current post-conflict mood and mindset of Belfast?

A resurgence of interest in republicanism within academic circles is
reclaiming the tradition, while the post-crash political landscape has
brought to the fore demands for citizen participation and an interest in
sharing control of the economy that can be read as republican in
spirit.

Michael Kenny's new book, The Politics of English Nationhood, is a vital read and charts much new ground, but its overriding analysis is constrained by its focus on identity and belonging at the expense of democracy.

At the launch of 50.50's series on women peacebuilders in Northern Ireland, we explore the connection between the failure to include women at all levels of political life in building a shared
future and the ongoing search for peace in Northern Ireland.

An anti-fascist festival in Athens
earlier this month brought activists from across Greece and Europe together to
build solidarity and co-ordinate resistance against Golden Dawn. Niki
Seth-Smith reports on the debates on sexism, homophobia, fascist attacks,
gender roles, and much more.

Following the riots in 2011, the UK government
pledged to treat violence as a health issue. Niki Seth-Smith reports on a
project that is doing just that, while millions are wasted in public money on
surveillance, enforcement and gang crime.

In
Israel/Palestine, former combatants are using the Theatre of the Oppressed to
move towards an end to the occupation. Recently London theatre group Cardboard Citizens invited a former Israeli officer to
share his experience of making theatre for peace.

The old myths around rape persist. Many people still believe that 'serious' rape must be a violent attack. Now new voices are
entering the debate. They claim that legal and academic 'experts' are using rape myths to shut down discussion and subvert the law.

Meet Catherine Bennett: an alternative, positive role model for girls. Created as an antidote to the flood of sexual and misogynistic representations of women that surround girls today, Bennett is a testament to the emancipating power of digital performance.

What is love? On the one hand, it's a lucrative industry, bound up in 21st century hyper-capitalism. But openDemocracy's new section Transformation aims to reclaim love as a positive force for social change.

The TUC’s new General Secretary seems to represent real change in the 'pale, male, stale' world of British unions. But can she shake them up in policy terms, and draw in the energy of a disparate anti-austerity movement?

After two and a half years as Co-Editor of openDemocracy's British section, Niki Seth-Smith is leaving OurKingdom. Through intimate reflections, she gives an insight into the project, Britain's landscape of power, and the struggle against neoliberalism to come.

Before advocating a return to a pre-Thatcher era of socialism and solidarity, remember the suffocating Labour years preceding her ascension. This House, playing at The National, takes us back to the last hurrah of a failing post-war consensus.

Late last year, at the tail end of the Savile-McAlpine crisis, OurKingdom held a discussion on the BBC. Kicked off by panellists Peter Oborne, Jacky Davis, Omar El Khairy and Anthony Barnett, it was an intense public debate at a turning point for the Corporation. Here is the complete audio.

Andreas Whittam Smith’s radical call to seize the UK
Parliament from career politicians resonates with the anger of a disenfranchised
public. While it is increasingly clear that getting ‘the right people’ into ‘the
right seats’ is not enough to stimulate meaningful democratic reform, these proposals could provide an important framework for disrupting the vested
interests of the political and corporate elite.

World Forum for Democracy 2017

This year, the theme is ‘populism’. Is the problem fake news or fake democracy? What media, what political parties, what politicians do we need to re-connect with citizens and make informed choices in 21st century democracy?

Civil Society Futures is a national conversation about how English civil society can flourish in a fast changing world.Come and add your voice»

Full coverage of the non-hierarchical conference held in Barcelona on 18-22 June 2017.